A range-information acquiring apparatus includes a light source, an image sensor, a control circuit, and a signal processing circuit. The control circuit causes the light source to emit first light toward a scene and subsequently emit second light toward the scene, the first light having a first spatial distribution, the second light having a second spatial distribution. The control circuit causes at least a portion of plural photodetector elements of the photodetector device to detect first reflected light and second reflected light in the same exposure period, the first reflected light being caused by reflection of the first light from the scene, the second reflected light being caused by reflection of the second light from the scene. The signal processing circuit generates range data based on photodetection data output from the photodetector elements of the photodetector device.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
2. The range-information acquiring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second spatial distribution differs from the first spatial distribution.
4. The range-information acquiring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the preset weight information is determined based on the first spatial distribution and the second spatial distribution.
5. The range-information acquiring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second light has a radiant intensity lower than a radiant intensity of the first light.
7. The range-information acquiring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second light has a maximum range shorter than a maximum range of the first light.
8. The range-information acquiring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second light has an energy per unit area on an irradiated surface lower than an energy of the first light per unit area on the irradiated surface, the irradiated surface being spaced apart from the light source.
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February 9, 2021
November 19, 2024
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